Children’s Dentistry at Landmark Dental

4 Facts You Need to Know About Your Child’s Primary Teeth

Tooth development begins early, and the habits your child learns now can affect them for life, which is why bringing your child to the dentist early on is incredibly important. Check out these four facts you need to know about your child’s primary teeth, so you can keep their mouth healthy.

The Teeth Start to Form Before Birth

Although it takes a while for your baby’s primary teeth to erupt, that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Baby teeth actually start forming before birth and are hiding under the gum line. In fact, primary tooth buds can be discerned by only eight weeks after conception. By twenty weeks into pregnancy, even the permanent tooth buds start to form. This is why it is incredibly important to start taking care of your child’s teeth during pregnancy by eating healthy foods and taking prenatal supplements. Failing to do so can affect your child’s early tooth development (even of permanent teeth), which can negatively impact their oral health for life.

Baby Teeth Are Vulnerable to Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Just like adults, babies have to worry about tooth decay. Of course, for your baby, it’s up to you to ensure this doesn’t happen. One type of decay babies are prone to is baby bottle tooth decay. This type of tooth decay occurs from high exposure to liquids with sugar. This doesn’t only mean soda or high-sugar juices. Even the sugar in breast milk and formula can cause baby bottle tooth decay. Generally, your child is at risk for baby bottle tooth decay if you put your baby to bed or for a nap with a bottle filled with something other than water. The sugary liquid has a lot of time to pool in the mouth around the teeth and cause damage.

Primary Teeth Make Eating and Talking Easier

If you’ve ever had missing teeth, you know that it can make eating and talking difficult. The same goes for your child. Primary teeth will eventually fall out, but until they are replaced with permanent teeth, your child needs healthy baby teeth to eat and talk. If major decay causes the teeth to need to be removed, this can make it hard for your child to eat properly, which could lead to many other problems, such as malnutrition. Also, without the right amount of teeth, your child may not learn how to speak properly.

They Help Ensure Permanent Teeth Are Healthy

Primary teeth aren’t just important for now, however. They can also play a role in the health of your child’s permanent teeth. Primary teeth are place holders. They give a path for permanent teeth to grow. If the teeth are lost, the permanent teeth may not be able to grow in properly, and your child will need help from an orthodontist. Another reason baby teeth are important for the future is that having healthy baby teeth allows the jaw bone and jaw muscles to develop properly. If the bone and muscles can’t develop properly because of missing baby teeth, it can make permanent teeth less durable.

Dental health is important for everyone, and good dental habits should begin before birth. As a parent, you need to keep your child’s primary teeth healthy, which will impact them for life. For more information about children’s dentistry, contact Landmark Dental Group today.